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[Albion] Potter watch



Seasider78

Well-known member
Nov 14, 2004
6,023
Plenty of clubs got great academies and talent scouting but not all of them got managers willing to give these players a chance. In Swansea they had had a category 1 academy for several years when Potter came, but not really used it at all. One year with Potter and about 10 players had established themselves in the first team squad with James, McBurnie and Rodon bringing in £50m to the club as well as saving money on not having to sign a bunch of players to replace the outgoings all the time.

In Östersund they had no real academy but scouted a lot of young players. GP spent about a total of £1m in transfers over there, later selling those players for a total of £10m.

In both cases while having his clubs perform to or above expectations. Little indicates that it will be much different with Brighton. Yes, the club has spent some money but the increase in squad value is a lot more than the spenditure. The £85m or so spent over the last two seasons will likely pay itself back just through sales of Bissouma and White. And if that happens there's still Sanchez, Lamptey, Webster and so on that would turn it into a profit.

Of course this is going to be very tempting for a lot of clubs to get that kind of economical value out of a manager while still keeping its ground or even advancing results wise. Far too many managers are afraid of the mistakes that young players are inevitably going to do and just keep buying players instead but I think more and more owners - even the very rich ones - is getting a bit tired of spending lots of money on what often turns out to be random value. Especially as income in football from TV deals, competitions and commerce looks like its close to have reached some sort of ceiling.

Potter is a manger who bloods youngsters no doubting that just some of the top clubs don’t need that as they just buy the finished article. That attitude may change over time as finances come under more pressure but no sign of that changing at the top table at the moment.

For us if Potter left we would need to find another manager who has the same ethos as ultimately the academy and development system at that Albion has bought white, bissouma and Sanchez into a position Potter can consider them for selection and all of those signings pre date his arrival. You are right that type of manager are not as common to find but the foundations of the club in this area are strong and with someone of the quality of Ashworth at the helm I am sure another manager would be well served with young talent.

That’s not to say I want Potter gone I don’t but at the moment feels like a bit of a match made in heaven and if he moved to one of the bigger boys where the demands are far greater the opportunities to experiment are limited alongside the pressures of competing for major trophies
 




Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
73,888
West west west Sussex
The production line is the academy which takes years to see fruit and not an easy thing to install if you don’t have it anyway. Also at bigger clubs there is more pressure which is why it is much harder to blood youngsters so not just a case of repeating what has been achieved at Brighton elsewhere.

If we sell players from the production line for £40-£50m, replace them with players from the same line for zero cost and reinvest the money in proven quality in other areas now that is very attractive for Potter or any manager.

Oh absolutely, although that said it'll only take one wrong transfer and the whole project looks a lot less rosy.

I find it hard to believe any owner would look at the Albion finally generating money and think, 'oh I wish I had invested in the academy'.
They're going to be saying 'why isn't my academy making that money - I want their manager'.
 


Swansman

Pro-peace
May 13, 2019
22,320
Sweden
Potter is a manger who bloods youngsters no doubting that just some of the top clubs don’t need that as they just buy the finished article. That attitude may change over time as finances come under more pressure but no sign of that changing at the top table at the moment.

For us if Potter left we would need to find another manager who has the same ethos as ultimately the academy and development system at that Albion has bought white, bissouma and Sanchez into a position Potter can consider them for selection and all of those signings pre date his arrival. You are right that type of manager are not as common to find but the foundations of the club in this area are strong and with someone of the quality of Ashworth at the helm I am sure another manager would be well served with young talent.

That’s not to say I want Potter gone I don’t but at the moment feels like a bit of a match made in heaven and if he moved to one of the bigger boys where the demands are far greater the opportunities to experiment are limited alongside the pressures of competing for major trophies

Agree with all of this.

I wonder who Brighton would go for if Potter left today (he isnt - obviously - but hypothetically speaking). I reckon a lot of people here would ask for "some experienced, proven manager to make us take the next step" but I feel it would more likely be someone from the lower divisions, like Michael Flynn, Michael Appleton or similar.
 


Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
73,888
West west west Sussex
:lolol: now that's funny.
 


If you took notice of all the rumours going around we'll lose Potter, White,Biss Dunk and Lamptey during the next 6 months be 20th and nearly relegated by Christmas then the inevitable free fall down the divisions playing in front of 10000 within 3 years(where little old Brighton should be)..........:moo:
 












andy1980

Well-known member
Feb 23, 2009
1,724
Plenty of clubs got great academies and talent scouting but not all of them got managers willing to give these players a chance. In Swansea they had had a category 1 academy for several years when Potter came, but not really used it at all. One year with Potter and about 10 players had established themselves in the first team squad with James, McBurnie and Rodon bringing in £50m to the club as well as saving money on not having to sign a bunch of players to replace the outgoings all the time.

In Östersund they had no real academy but scouted a lot of young players. GP spent about a total of £1m in transfers over there, later selling those players for a total of £10m.

In both cases while having his clubs perform to or above expectations. Little indicates that it will be much different with Brighton. Yes, the club has spent some money but the increase in squad value is a lot more than the spenditure. The £85m or so spent over the last two seasons will likely pay itself back just through sales of Bissouma and White. And if that happens there's still Sanchez, Lamptey, Webster and so on that would turn it into a profit.

Of course this is going to be very tempting for a lot of clubs to get that kind of economical value out of a manager while still keeping its ground or even advancing results wise. Far too many managers are afraid of the mistakes that young players are inevitably going to do and just keep buying players instead but I think more and more owners - even the very rich ones - is getting a bit tired of spending lots of money on what often turns out to be random value. Especially as income in football from TV deals, competitions and commerce looks like its close to have reached some sort of ceiling.

I don't know about Swansea and Ostersund but what is happening now with the academy and transfers is what we have been working towards for years. I'm sure Potter is a vital cog in the process but I'm sure Ashworth Barber and Bloom are equally as important. We are very lucky to have the 4 of them, as in this aspect of the club all seems well at the moment.
 




dazzer6666

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Mar 27, 2013
56,072
Burgess Hill
I don't know about Swansea and Ostersund but what is happening now with the academy and transfers is what we have been working towards for years. I'm sure Potter is a vital cog in the process but I'm sure Ashworth Barber and Bloom are equally as important. We are very lucky to have the 4 of them, as in this aspect of the club all seems well at the moment.

Spot on.......Potter is an important cog in the wheel but could be replaced if he did leave. Ashworth would be much more difficult I suspect given his background and whilst Barber is a top CEO, again he could be replaced without too much impact on the academy/production line and strategic direction on the field. Not going to comment on whether Tony could be replaced........
 




andy1980

Well-known member
Feb 23, 2009
1,724
Spot on.......Potter is an important cog in the wheel but could be replaced if he did leave. Ashworth would be much more difficult I suspect given his background and whilst Barber is a top CEO, again he could be replaced without too much impact on the academy/production line and strategic direction on the field. Not going to comment on whether Tony could be replaced........

Even I could be Blooms replacement, hes that replaceable:lizard:
 








Cheeky Monkey

Well-known member
Jul 17, 2003
23,972
‘Potter Watch’ reversed = What a Poch? Surely means Poch will be back at Spurs long before GraPott is seriously considered.
 


nickjhs

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Apr 9, 2017
1,592
Ballarat, Australia
Hehe [emoji6]



He has a very secure job here, with an infrastructure built to support him. He has young talent on tap coming through from our Academy. One of the best chairman in the league who backs him and believes in him. And I genuinely think, unless untenable, if we were relegated Tony would still back him to bring us up. GP has also spoken lately about how carefully he now chooses his jobs and that he’s “connected to the chairman on a philosophical level”.

I don’t think he’d jack all this in yet, for a club where 1 bad season and you’re out. One day he will leave but for a much bigger opportunity.

Conversely I think we should have more confidence in our club. We’re an incredible fit for him as well.

This. He has a job to do and the support to do it. Then once he has achieved the goals maybe he will go for the high rollers, but I doubt it, as he doesn't seem to be excessively ego driven. Certainly his pay packet will need to be fattened.
 










Icy Gull

Back on the rollercoaster
Jul 5, 2003
72,015
Good luck to him. First manager to manage both surely.

Is it fair to say that he’s a past his best dinosaur? Would you want him here over Potter? Can’t see him taking Everton where they want to be personally. His Newcastle team were no more attractive to watch than Bruce’s Newcastle.
 


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